Batasan 5 to sue, seek disbarment of DOJ chief

The "Batasan 5" lawmakers vowed Monday to get back at police officers and justice officials who "violated" their rights as they prepared to leave the House of Representatives where they have been holed up for 70 days now. Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said they will push for the disbarment of and file disciplinary charges against Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez. The lawmakers will also file civil and administrative cases against Director Gen. Arturo Lomibao, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Gonzalez and other members of President Arroyo's security cluster have agreed to allow the five party-list legislators to leave the Batasang Pambansa complex without fear of arrest. Party-list Representatives Satur Ocampo, Casiño, Joel Virador (Bayan Muna), Liza Maza (Gabriela) and Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis) sought protective custody from the leadership of the House of Representatives after the police filed rebellion charges against them. Administration officials alleged that the five congressmen were among 49 conspirators in a supposed February 24 coup plot against the Arroyo government. Casiño added that illegal detention and arbitrary arrest charges would be slapped against the police officers who arrested Virador in the afternoon of February 27 at the Philippine Airlines ticketing office on Roxas Avenue in Davao City. Virador was apprehended by virtue of General Order No. 5, issued after President Arroyo placed the country under a state of national emergency. He was later brought to Manila and turned over to the House leadership. Casiño said: "Kailangan maturuan ng leksyon ang nasa gobyerno, di nila basta pwede apakan at isalaula ang karapatan nang di nananagot. Panagutin ang mga may sala sa ganitong sitwasyon," he said. He added that the Makati court's decision last week to junk an amended rebellion complaint against them shows that the government never had the evidence to back up its claims. "It has become obvious that Malacañang had no evidence to back up its rebellion charges against us, which is why it blinked," he also said. However, Gonzalez seemed unaffected by the "Batasan 5" congressmen's statement. He remained confident the legislators would eventually be arrested and detained once state prosecutors re-file the rebellion charges against them. "The moment we file the info and an arrest warrant is issued I don't think they can benefit from congressional protection," he said. He insisted the five are liable "under the principle of continuing crime," and that it was only a matter of getting the evidence against them before the courts. "They have not been acquitted so we can re-file the case against them. Of course, we will re-file because the evidence against them is strong. The moment the court accepts the information, then the process will proceed," he added. When asked to comment on the Batasan 5's plan to lodge a case against him, Gonzalez said: "Magsampa sila ng kaso kung anong kaso gusto nila isampa. The government will certainly file the necessary information against them. We will re-file the case within this week," he also said. Casiño laughed off Gonzalez's claim that the only reason why Malacañang would not order their arrest is because it does not want to fall into the Batasan 5's "script." "Kung tingin nila may kasalaman di hulihin nila kami. Kung kami walang kasalanan huwag kami hulihin. Huwag gamiting dahilan ang script-script na ayaw magpagamit," he said. The "Batasan Housemates" are scheduled to leave the Batasang Pambansa complex at noon Monday. They are expected to "march" from the House lobby to the gates and then hold a motorcade to the University of the Philippines-Diliman, where their supporters have gathered to "celebrate" their "legal victory." Casiño said he and his colleagues would spend the rest of the day with their families.-GMANews.TV